ETEC565A e-portfolio

https://www.emaze.com/@ALWZZOQT/what-is-a-force

Using Emaze was easy, and I like the different templates. The transitions between slides are fun and engaging. I chose a template that was related to my course on forces showing motion of a vehicle on a road. While I’m happy with what I’ve produced, I would have liked the option to do a voiceover on the slides. I have many EAL students, and this might be helpful for them. I tried to upload an audio file, but it comes up looking like a podcast audio clip, rather than a simple voiceover and I didn’t want that as it means students would get instructions twice (visual and audio), creating redundancy, rather than simultaneously. Also, I cannot embed the presentation into my Eliademy site as it is not yet supported. Emaze is new, and hopefully these improvements will happen and I can adjust my presentation.

Through the courses I have taken in MET, I have explored and discussed different digital tools and the benefits and challenges of each, including various social media tools. I have created a number of products using new digital tools including

– Toondoo

– Weebly

– Prezi

– YouTube

– Cmap tools

– and now Emaze.

I have used new digital learning management systems like

– Connect

– WordPress.

and even created a course using the learning management system

– Eliademy.

In the time I have been in the program so far, I have not yet used any of the products in my lessons. However, in exploring these digital tools, I have been able to evaluate each one and decide whether it is right for my students. The SECTIONS model, outlined by Bates (2014) simplifies this process and will allow me to more clearly evaluate whether to implement a particular tool into my lessons. As Siemens states, “Media characteristics need to match with the requirements of the learning outcome” (2003).

My story of using and creating digital tools is not finished. In fact, I believe it is only beginning. I can see myself using a learning management system like Eliademy, or using a website like Weebly as a course management system, or Emaze for a different style of presentation software. I just have not yet begun the process of reworking my courses.

References

Bates, T. (2014). Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. Retrieved from http://opentextbc.ca/teachinginadigitalage/part/9-pedagogical-differences-between-media/

Siemens, G. (2003, February 7). Evaluating media characteristics: Using multimedia to achieve learning outcomes. Retrieved July 20, 2015, from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/mediacharacteristics.htm

I wanted to try something new so I have decided to deliver my course through Eliademy. As this is a tool that seems new to all of us in the course, exploring it and sharing what we find is extremely beneficial.

I have found the wiki collaboration tool to be useful. In addition to adding my own findings about communication tools, I have benefitted from the contributions of others. I have checked the wiki a few times to see what tools others have found on the Eliademy site, and then reflected on wheteher I could incorporate them into my own site. I’m grateful for the fact that Eliademy is easy to use, and it is easy to find how to use all the tools listed. Any tool that my classmates added to the wiki site, I was able to find in the Eliademy site. The “support” section on Eliademy is also very good as it shows where to find various tools.

I have briefly skimmed over the wiki collaboration sites for Moodle and Connect. As they are not immediately relevant to me at the moment, I have not taken the time to fully explore these LMSs, but it looks like many of the communication tools (like discussion posts, and assignment submissions) are shared by the various LMS platforms.

The Course Module collection has been less helpful at the moment. As many colleagues are still working on their modules, and only have a basic shell available, I have been less inclined to use this resource. As the deadline approaches for Assignment 2, and colleagues have added in features and information, I will look at more of the sites to provide feedback.

At the moment, only one other group is using Eliademy. I have been keeping up to date with their progress by checking their site regularly (almost daily) to learn from their use of the site. Design features, course structure and tools being employed at the moment are very similar between my course and my colleague’s course. This may be due to Eliademy’s consistent page design.

Working in a team to produce a report is a rewarding challenge. It requires clarity of ideas and an effective way to communicate those ideas to others to ensure everyone is clear of the direction. The collaborative process forces the draft/edit process to occur with many eyes ensuring adequate flow of ideas and staying within the framework of the report.

The group I worked with did just those things. After initially brainstorming, searching for literature and note taking using Google docs, our first “face-to-face” meeting involved in-depth discussions about the affordances of each LMS we could choose from. Our original idea was to do a comparative assessment of 2 different systems, but eventually settled on only Moodle. Using the screen sharing capabilities of Google hangouts, group members got to see 2 different active Moodle sites (mine and another group member’s) to compare how it could be used. This allowed for focused discussion about whether Moodle would be our choice for our organization. We then had a follow-up check-in meeting, but otherwise used the comments feature and color coded text (to distinguish between group members contributions) in our Google doc or communicated via email. The system worked quite well.

Flexibility and initiative are key in an online collaborative environment. My experience in the MET program, with this assignment being no exception, is that people are willing to volunteer. Everyone is keen to learn, to take on a new challenge and ensure they are contributing members to the group. Everyone in this group involved him or herself in the brainstorming, discussing, drafting and editing process and was willing to both give and receive constructive criticisms. Suggestions were made professionally and in the spirit of creating the best possible product. In addition, as someone living in Asia, several time zones away from North America, I am appreciative of people willing to be flexible in meeting times to make sure everyone can be included.

One of the biggest factors in determining group success is the “care” factor. Working with colleagues who care about the assignment, help you make your writing better, ask probing questions to help tease out deeper ideas, offer to help and respond to comments in a timely fashion are keys to successful group work. Everyone in the group I worked with all cared about this project and I learned a lot with them and from them.

Welcome to the start of my learning journey in ETEC565A. This is where I will be reflecting on my experiences and demonstrating my learning as I move through the course. I look forward to an enjoyable semester.

I am currently a high school chemistry teacher at the International School of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. I taught for 7 years in Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada before moving overseas to Beijing, China, and then here to Kuala Lumpur. I have now been overseas for more than 8 years. I am currently taking my sixth and seventh MET courses and I am also enrolled in ETEC 533.

I love travelling and living in Malaysia, it is very easy to visit several countries and places within a couple hours flight. Beach, city, or history is all very close and makes for some nice weekends away. I also enjoy running, and do a couple of 10km races every year, albeit for fun, not competition. I’ve also recently started scuba diving and am really enjoying it.